Many storage racks for a multiplicity of uses made from a wide variety of materials exist. Some of these racks are simple in construction while others are more complex. Some are constructed of metal or wood, while with today's economic pressures those formed from plastic and cardboard are considered a better value. The substance of this invention is to provide a unique storage rack which for example fits in a drawer which securely supports a multiplicity of items in an organized array and the contents thereof is made available to the user simply by opening the drawer.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,610,834 (M. L. Webster patentee) teaches a container dispensing rack disposed vertically for display purposes, having individual compartments for each container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,904 (V. Dumond patentee) teaches a display rack for counter tops having a vertically stepped format comprising multiple components, having a slotted inclined member wherein supporting pockets are arranged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,720 (C. D. Presberg patentee) teaches a modular section combining to form racks to receive flat articles in a systematic manner, being interconnected by tongue and groove joints, each section being preferably cut to required lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,455 (A. Zurawin patentee) teaches a hollow molded rack for displaying and dispensing containers; the rack being modular and being formed from a unitary plastic sheet, and sustaining the container generally horizontally.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,638 (D. E. Racine patentee) teaches a storage rack for holding spools. U.S. Pat. No. 4,064,992 (Ralston et al Patentee) teaches a spacesaver tiltable storage unit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,439 teaches a spice rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,889 (S. Lebowitz patentee) teaches a spice rack and bracket assembly, each molded from a single sheet of plastic material adapted to hold an array of bottles, which can be mounted on a wall, stood on a counter, or to lie flat on a counter, having a staircase frame having rows of semicircular notches coincident with semicircular wells.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,774 (G. G. Menkel patentee) teaches an article display stand having a first plate which is stepped in structure, said first plate being secured to a second plate, and having semicircular notches for receiving and securing a container.
To applicant's best understanding none of the prior art reviewed was specifically intended to be installed within a drawer. However applicant is aware of Rubbermaid Inc. (located in Wooster, Ohio, U.S.A.) which manufactures and sells cutlery trays and assorted other trays which are used primarily in a drawer.
Further Applicant is aware of Vance Industries Trademark "Trim-Fit" referring generally to Drawer Organizers, who offer in the U.S. market a cutlery tray having trimmable flanges for insertion within a drawer. A European Manufacturer unknown to Applicant has a registered trademark "Elco" stamped upon a cutlery tray with trimmable flanges.
Applicant is also aware of wooden structures manufactured to the size of each standard drawer found in kitchens which generally are inserted in the drawer and are used as spice racks but are much more expensive to manufacture and lack the novelty of being adjustable on sight. Should the purchaser have a non standard drawer size or even a slight variation from standard, the wooden unit could not be installed in a drawer without significant alteration to either the drawer or the rack or both.
However applicant's invention goes beyond any of the prior art cited in that he provides an angularly stepped storage rack suitable for inserting in a drawer made from a unitary sheet of thermoplastics material and having trimmable flanges formed during, for example vacuum molding, upon which the rack generally rests within a drawer, said rack being adjustable to the drawer length and width. None of the aforementioned racks or trays offer this unique combination of economy and flexibility in a stepped storage rack.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a stepped storage rack suitable for insertion within a drawer.
It is a further object of this invention that the rack size may be altered to the drawer dimensions by an installer.
It is a further object of this invention to vacuum form the storage rack from a single sheet of thermoplastics material.
It is still a further object of the invention to systematically display and organize various containers and articles within a drawer.
Further and other objects of this invention will the following summary of the invention and the more detailed embodiments of the invention illustrated herein.